Engelbert Kaempfer (1651-1716), the German physician, assumed the post of medical officer to the Dutch factory on Dejima in the year 1690. During his three-year term of duty he twice made the journey to Edo in the company of the head of the factory. The present work was written after his return to Europe, where he went into medical practice in his native town.
The History of Japan was written in German, but it was the English translation which appeared first in print some ten or more years after the author's death. The volumes here illustrated are of this first edition. It was not until 1777 that the first volume of the original German text was published.
The work is divided into five sections with appendices. The first of these describes a journey from Batavia to Siam, while the second, third and fourth treat of the government of Japan, its religions and the town of Nagasaki respectively. The last section deals with the author's observations and reflections on the state of the land as seen on his two journeys to Edo. The English translation is the work of J. G. Scheuchzer.